Hot air cleaner and sterilizer for cream containers



April 1 1944- s. K. JENSEN 2,346,310

HOT AIR CLEANER AND STERILIZER FOR CREAM CONTAINERS Filed May 5, 194;

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37 12 55 52 14/ 28 34 35 I umumml wmluuw ihnnmmw i0 6 I I :JVWWM a w m;ab/41k Patented Apr. 11, 1944 HOT AIR CLEANER AND- STERI LIZER FOR CREAMCONTAINERS Soren K. Jensen, Wichita, Kans.

Application May 5, 1941, Serial No. 392,017

2 Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in dryers and sterilizers forcream containers. In the cream business it is customary for the producerto bring his cream to the cream station in whatever kind of a containerhe may have, preferably a standard cream can. The cream is usually quitethick and heavy and while the bulk of the cream may be readily pouredfrom the container there will be a thick heavy coating of cream leftclinging to the wall of the container. This heavy coating of cream maybe readily removed by applying heat thereto, whereupon the heavy creamwill break down and flow freely, then this too may also be easilyremoved from the container. After the container is emptied it should bethoroughly cleaned and sterilized and returned to the owner in conditionfor further immediate use.

In view of the foregoing described situation and requirement I haveprovided a machine for the purpose of applying heat to the containersfor the complete emptying thereof and also for the drying andsterilizing thereof.

Now referring to the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view of themachine, parts being shown in section for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine.

In the drawing is shown a base element ID on which is rigidly mounted apost II in which is rigidly mounted a pipe or tubular element l2. Theupper end of the pipe I2 is closed off by a plug l3 that is fitted intothe end of the pipe l2 and projects therefrom.

On the protruding end of the plug I2 is slipped a second pipe l4 and theadjacent ends of the two pipes l2 and M are joined together by a pipecoupling 15.

On the upper end of the pipe I4 is mounted a Y-pipe fitting IS in whichis mounted a third pipe portion I! that is in vertical alignment withthe pipes l4 and I2.

At A is shown a drainage element that is somewhat cup shaped and isprovided with a depressed portion 18 above which is a suporting ledge I9around which is an upwardly extending flange portion 20. At 2| is adepending portion of the drainage element A that is provided with a borein which is received the upper end of the pipe l1. Also in the bore inthe portion 2| is a fourth pipe element 22, the upper end of whichextends well above the top of the flange 20 as shown. The drainageelement A is provided with a drainage spout 23 that opens at 24 into thedepressed portion [8 of the drainage element A.

To the lateral l6a of the Y-fitting I6 is connected a pipe and reducerelement 25 to which is connected one end 26a of a thin walled coil ofpipe 26 that is encased in a housing 21 that is supported on legs 28that are rigidly mounted on the base element ID. The other end 26b ofthe pipe coil 26 is connected with the discharge 29 of a blower 30 thatis also rigidly mounted on the base element [0.

The blower 30 is driven by a power unit, pref erably an electric motor3|, which is also rigidly mounted on the base element l0 and is directlycoupled to the blower 30 as shown.

Over the blower air intake is an air filter 32 to filter foreignmaterial out of the air that is to be forced through the system as willlater be explained.

Within the casing 21 and below the pipe coil 26 is a fuel burner 33 towhich fuel is fed through the fuel feed pipe 34 under the control of thefuel valve 35.

The operation of the device is as follows: When a customer brings in hiscream, the cream is emptied from his container 36 whereupon thecontainer 36 is placed in an inverted position on the drainage element Aas shown in Fig. 1. A second container 31 is placed in receivingposition from the drainage spout 23 and now the fuel is turned onthrough the valve 35 and lighted at the burner 33 whereupon the tubularcoil 26 is heated to a high degree of temperature. Now the motor 3| isstarted to drive the blower 30, whereupon air is drawn in by the blower30 through the screen and filter 32 and discharged through the dischargepipe 29 and forced to flow through the hot tubular coil 26 wherein theair is heated to a high degree of temperature and then dischargedthrough the fittings 25, I6, I! and 22 into the container 36, whereuponthe heat from the hot air being discharged therein melts the heavycoating of cream on the side wall of the container and the melted creamwill readily flow into the depressed portion l8 of the drainage elementA and thence through the opening 24 and spout 23 into the container 31.

Now the container 36 is removed from the drainage element A and taken toa standard washing vat where it is thoroughly washed and cleaned, andthen the container 36 is replaced on the drainage element A and anextremely hot draft of air is introduced therein in the same manner asabove described whereupon the container is simultaneously dried andsterilized, due to the high temperature, and the container is now readyto be returned to its owner in condition for further use.

Such modifications of my invention may be employed as lie within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit andintention of my invention. Now having fully described my invention, whatI claim is:

1. In a container cleaning and sterilizing device of the classdescribed; said device comprising in combination a tubular coil and aheating unit therefor and thereunder, said heating coil and unit beingpositioned within a housing; a tubular hot air discharge element, saidtubular hot air discharge element being positioned vertically and thelower end thereof being connected to one end ment and a drainage spoutthereon, said drainage element being positioned on said tubular hot airdischarge element and supported thereby, said drainage element havingmeans thereon for supporting an inverted container that may bepositioned over said tubular hot air discharge element, an air blower,the discharge of said air blower being connected with the other end ofsaid tubular heating coil.

2. In a container cleaning and sterilizing de- 1 vice as defined inclaim 1, and power means for of the said tubular heating coil, adrainage eledriving said blower.

SOREN K. JENSEN.

